February 2024
Please welcome our new Lived Experience Advocate
Lal Lumley
Lal joins Bridging the Gap Mentoring as our first Lived Experience Advocate.
We are excited to find out where this new post may lead us.
Lal knows from her own experience the importance of group and one-to-one support. She has first-hand experience of some of the difficulties of those who are supported by the charity.
Lal has previously worked as a psychotherapist in the NHS and has a Masters in the field, as well as working with vulnerable children and adolescents in various settings. Alongside her work with Bridging the Gap Mentoring, Lal volunteers as a peer mentor in other charitable organisations.
She believes those who are struggling with mental health, addiction and/or adjusting to life after prison need support to guide them towards the future they want, and is determined to use her voice and experience to advocate on their behalf.
Lal writes:
As the Lived Experience Advocate, I will be encouraging service users and other people with similar lived experience to take a full part in influencing the development of Bridging the Gap Mentoring. I hope we can find ways to encourage creativity, peer support and to reduce feelings of isolation. I also want to offer 1-2-1 peer support in the partnership programme. I’m hoping to support and encourage others who may wish to become a mentor.
I hope to develop a group for those interested in sharing a space with others who may be experiencing similar experiences.
We welcome new volunteer mentors with experience of the problems our service users face
To find out more please look at
https://bridging-mentoring.org.uk/offer-to-mentor/
or email [email protected]
Please also let us know if you are working with someone who might benefit from mentoring
We are very grateful for the continuing interest and support of our volunteer mentors.
More information and advice for mentors is on our website here https://bridging-mentoring.org.uk/advice-for-mentors/
Donations, of course, are always welcome, please donate here https://bridging-mentoring.org.uk/donate/
To find out more or make a referral:
Visit our website: www.bridging-mentoring.org.uk
Freephone number: 0800 488 0746
Email us: welcome@bridging-mentoring.org.uk
When you contact us, we will ask for some further details whilst arranging a volunteer match.
We aim to start the partnership in 2-4 weeks.